Samsung Galaxy Grand: a 5-inch mid-range Android smartphone

Meet the Samsung Galaxy Grand, the latest Android phone to stomp its way onto the mobile scene with a massive 5-inch display. Unlike the HTC Droid DNA, Oppo Find 5, ZTE Nubia Z5, and Sony Xperia Yuga, this is no quad-core 1080p hero device. The Galaxy Grand appears to be aimed at folks with tighter budgets that still want a nice, big display — and are OK with a native resolution of just 800×480. Yes, the race for highest pixel density has gotten a bit out of hand, but that figure locks the Galaxy Grand in at a woeful 186ppi.

The rest of the Galaxy Grand spec sheet looks pretty solid. Processing power is provided by a 1.2GHz dual-core chip. It’s got a gig of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expandable via micro SD card), 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, and the standarad array of sensors. The Galaxy Grand also features an 8 megapixel rear-facing and 2 megapixel front-facing cameras, and a 2100mAh battery. That should be good for around 9 hours of talk time, which you won’t burn up on VoLTE calls. LTE has been skipped in favor of HSPA+. Both single and dual-SIM versions of the Galaxy Grand will be available for purchase.

While it’s specced like an entry or mid-level device, Galaxy Grand owners will still get to enjoy some of the features found on Samsung’s higher-end hardware (like the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note). S-Voice software is included, and it can even handle Samsung’s Multi Window mode.

Why build a device that — on paper anyway — isn’t even as good as the original Galaxy Note? Samsung’s original phablet still carries a $400-500 price tag, and it’s pretty clear that the Galaxy Grand isn’t going to come close to that figure. Like the Galaxy S3 Mini, Samsung is aiming the Galaxy Grand at customers with tighter budgets who still want a taste of the Samsung Galaxy experience.